As in season's past, Madi played both Saturday games of the tournament. But she chose not to play on Sunday. And though she's made the same decision for every tournament since first grade, it doesn't seem to get any easier. The feeling that her team needed her and her loyalty to them has only grown stronger over the years. But, though Madi LOVES soccer and her team, she loves Heavenly Father even more. That's why this is one of my favorite pictures...
And this one... (Thanks to Shaun Maher - photographer extraordinaire - for capturing these moments!)
You see, Madi and I drove to the soccer field after church on Sunday. We arrived just in time to watch the last two minutes of the final game. And it was a nail-biting close game (2-1). When the ending whistle blew, Madi threw her orange flip flops to me (they would have slowed her down), and sprinted across the field, barefoot, to congratulate her team. When her teammates saw her coming, they ran to meet her and encompassed her in a huge hug. The scene got all blurry for me. To watch my daughter win is one thing. To watch my daughter make a good, but really hard, decision is another. But to watch my daughter be accepted, surrounded by her teammates, her friends - oh what a joyous moment. And then there's this picture...
The girls spontaneously linked their arms and walked like this to the end of the field where they received their trophies. I don't have to tell you how symbolic this picture is. Suffice it to say, it is my favorite picture of the season.
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